Rotary filter



Nov. 29, 1949 Filed Feb. 13, 1948 E. G. SMITH Erm. 2,489,681

ROTARY FILTER 2 She'ets-Sheet 1 llll lll/111111 lll l 1J IIJ IN1/ENT0133 6. 5MM/7 Y aM. foccmafe//cz Nov. 29, 1949 E. G. SMITH ETAL ROTARYFILTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 13, 1948 Patented Nov. 29, 1949AROTARY FILTER Edmund G. Smith, Cedar Grove, and Otell M.

Cocchiarella, Newark, N. J., assignors to Equipment Development Co.,Inc., Montclair, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application February13, 1948, Serial No. 8,145

3 Claims. (Cl. 251-87) This invention relates to rotary filters orthickeners and more particularly to a valve for con trolling thefiltering or thickening cycle of such apparatus.

An object of the invention is to provide a valve of the above typehaving novel and improved details of construction and features ofoperation.

Another object is to provide a valve'of the above type in which movingmetal-to-metal surfaces are eliminated.

Another object is to provide a novel and 1mproved valve ofthe above typein which friction and wear are reduced to a minimum.

Another object is to provide a valve of the above type in which thewearing surfaces may be readily replaced.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent as the nature ofthe invention is more fully disclosed. i

The valve, in accordance with the present invention, is particularlyadapted for use with rotary filters or thickeners of the type having aplurality of sections, connected by individual pipes to ports in therotating part of the valve. These ports are connected successively atdifferent stages of the filtering or thickening cycle, to suction,pressure or atmosphere. For example, during a portion of the cyclesuction may be applied to the filter section for the purpose of drawingthe liquid therethrough and depositing a filter cake thereon. Duringanother portion of the cycle the filter cake may be removed from theliquid and a higher suction applied for drying or dewatering the same.The suction may'then be t.

removed and pressure applied for dislodging the lter cake. Thereafterthe section may be vented to the atmosphere and the cycle repeated.

The present valve is accordingly designed to operate automatically forconnecting the filter sections successively to the various sources ofsuction or pressure as required during the rotation of the filter.

In one embodiment of the present invention th valve comprises astationary housing having an annular channel therein opening in a radialface of the housing. The rotary member comprises an annular fiange onthe hub of the filter terminating in a radial face seated within thestationary annular chamber, but out of metal-to-metal contact therewith.Packing glands effect a seal at each side of the annular channel andradial internal flanges formed in the channels divide the same into aplurality of separate segmental chambers to which the suction andpressure sources are connected. The radial flanges are spaced from theradial face of the annular flange and 2 are sealed thereto by blocks ofplastic material mounted in recesses in the flanges and held in sealingcontact with such faces.

The arrangement is such that the wear is confined to the plastic blockswhich may be readily removed and renewed. At the same time the chambersare effectively sealed.

Although the novel features which are characteristic of this inventionare pointed out more particularly in the claims, the nature of theinvention will be better understood by referring to the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich a spe-- cific embodiment thereof has been set forth for purposesof illustration.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a portion of a rotary filtershowing the present valve applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a partial section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings more in detail, the invention is shown asapplied to a rotary filter comprising a drum I0 having a peripheral wallcarrying a suitable layer of spacing material I2 and a filter medium I3,such as a filter cloth. The drum is divided peripherally into into aplurality of sections to each of which is connected a pipe I6, two ofwhich are shown in Fig. 1.

The drum III is provided with a hub 20 which is journalled for rotationin a stationary bearing 2| and terminates in an end member 22 carrying aspacer plate 23. The bearing 2| is mounted on a bracket I9 attached tothe tank wall 45 of the lter. A drive shaft 24 extends through the hub20 and is attached to the end member 22. The

pipes I6 also extend through the hub 20 and are secured at their ends inthe spacer plate 23.

A rotary valve member 25 is attached to the end member 22 by bolts 26which extend through the valve member 25 and through the spacer plate23. The valve member 25 includes an annular. ange 29 through winch aplurality of ducts 21 extend, which register with the vario-us pipes |Iand terminate in ports 28 disposed annularly clearance and to preventmetal-to-rnetal contact between the relatively rotating parts.

For sealing the opposite peripheral surfaces of the rotating ange 29 apair of annular packing glands 35 and 36 are provided which are securedby follower rings 3l and 38. The ring 3l is journalled on the outside ofthe ange 29 and is secured to the housing 35 by means of bolts 39. Thering 38 is journalled within the flange 2S and is secured by bolts 46.The housing 30 is rigidly attached to the stationary bearing 2i by meansof a plurality of tie-bolts 42 and is further anchored against rotationby a tie-rod 43 which engages a stationary bracket 44, attached to thetank 45.

Referring to Fig, 2 the annular chamber 3l is divided into a pluralityof isolated sections by means of radial flanges 45 which close thechamber 3i and passage 32, but are spaced from the end of the iiange 29so as to avoid metal-to-metal contact. Sealing members, such as blocks48 of plastic or other relatively soft material, are slidably held inrecesses 45 (Figs. 3 and 4) formed in the flanges 46 and are held inpressure engagement with the end of the rotating flange 29 by means ofadjustable bolts 5l.

The ilanges 46 and blocl 48 form acomplete seal across the annularchamber 3i and thereby divide the same into a plurality of separatearcuate chambers indicated in Fig. 2 as chambers 32a, 32h, 32o and 32d.'A suction pipe 55 extends through the housing 30 into communication withthe chamber 32a. This pipe may for example serve as the ltrate removalpipe. A suction pipe 56, similarly communicates with the chamber 32h.This pipe may carry a hv'gher suction than the pipe 55 and may .beadapted to remove water from the iilter cake after the latter has beenremoved from the solution. A pressure pipe 5l communicates with thechamber 32e and air vent 58 communicates with the chamber 32d.

In the operation of this device, as the drum I0 rotates, the variousports 28 are brought successively into registration with the chambers32a to 32d, rotation being assumed to be in a counterclockwise directionas seen in Fig,l 2. For ltering purposes the port 28 registers with thesuction chamber 32a during the period when the corresponding iiltersections are immersed. During this period, the filtrate is drawn throughthe filter cloth and a filter cake is deposited thereon. As the rotationcontinues, the ports 28 are brought into registration with the chamber32h after the filter cake has been lifted out of the solution. Duringthis stage, suction is applied to dewater the filter cake. Thecomparatively dry filter cake thereupon reaches the positioncorresponding to the chamber 32o wherein pressure is Vapplied in back ofthe lter cloth to loosen the cake and remove the same. Before thecorresponding sections again dipinto the liquid, the ports 28 registerwith the chamber 32d which vents the filter sections to remove thepressure which was applied thereto and conditions the same t0 receivesuction when the ports 28 again reach the chamber 32a.

It will be noted that the metal rotating valve Vflange 29 does notcontact the metal housing 30 although a complete seal is eected by thepacking glands 35 and 35 and by the various blocks 48. Both the blocksand the glands may of course be readily renewed as required. The blocks48 are preferably made of a plastic material which is capable of formingan eiective seal and withstanding wear, but is not sufliciently hard t0cause Wear on the contacting surface of the rotary ange 29.

When the lsuction is applied to the valve through the pipes and 56 aforce is developed which tends to cause the surfaces of the members 25and 3D to make contact. However, such contact is prevented by thetie-bolt 42 which positively positions the housing 3i) and prevents anymovement thereof in response to suction within the various chambers. Theanchor 43 takes up the torque produced by the blocks 48 and therebyprevents a bending movement from being applied to the tie-bolts 42.

Although a specific application of the valve has been shown for purposesof illustration, it is to be understood that the valve is not to berestricted thereto but may be adapted to various uses as will be readilyapparent to a person skilled in the art. The invention is only to berestricted in accordance with the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary valve comprising a stationary member and a rotary memberhaving registering radial faces, an annular port in one face,registering port means in the other face, packing glands on each side ofsaid annular port in sealing engagement with the opposite face, andbaille means in said annular port dividing the same into a plurality ofchambers, said baffle means comprising a block slidably secured in saidport and held in sealing engagement with the opposite face.

2. A rotary valve comprising a stationary member and a rotary member, anannular flange on one member and a corresponding annular channel in theother member, packing glands on opposite sides of said flange in sealingengagement with said channel, said members having respectively anannular port and an annularly disposed ring of ports disposed in theregistering faces of said ange and said channel, and baille means insaid annular port dividing the same into a plurality of chambers, saidbailie means comprising a block slidably held in said port in sealingengagement with the opposed face.

3. A rotary valve comprising a housing having an annular chamber thereinand an annular passage extending axially therefrom and opening in aradial face of said housing, a relatively rotatable member having anannular :Gange journalled in. said passage and having a radial face withdistributed port means therein communicating with y said passage,packing glands disposed between the registering peripheral faces of saidflange and passage and baille means disposed in said annular chamber todivide the same into a plurality of arcuate chambers, said baffle meanscomprising REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe le of this patent:

-pNrrED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,465,156 Bucher Aug. 14, 19232,352,330 Lee June 27, 1944

